


Truthful Lies; Fabricated Life

by k_33va



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Mastermind (Dangan Ronpa), Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Gen, New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers, Reader Has An Ultimate Talent (Dangan Ronpa), Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-06 05:42:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14050155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/k_33va/pseuds/k_33va
Summary: The entire cast of NDRV3 must work together and survive the new killing game under the wrath of Monokuma and the Monokubs along with their new classmate, the Ultimate Actor! The Ultimate Actor is featured as a reader-insert character along with entirely new scenarios of different survivors and the blackened. Feel free to follow along as part of the class.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm slowly uploading every chapter each week or so, but if you're interested, I update much more quickly on my Tumblr (I have the same username). Either way, feel free to read on.

All they could see was darkness.

Even when they blinked, their eyes remained in the darkness. There was nothing there. Nothing to see. Nothing they could hear. And nothing they could grasp onto. There was nothing they could gather about where and why they were in darkness.

_Wait… they? Who… were they?_

…

Ah, yes. They can remember clearly now. Oh-so clearly. Now all they had to do was stretch out their hand.

And reclaim their existence.

…

Their first glimpse of light poured out from a hole they made with their hands. When their eyes readjusted, they could see they were sitting within a pile of books. The books had completely encased their entire body from their crouched position on the floor.

It didn’t seem natural for them to wake up in such a position. Perhaps, it was done on purpose?

They couldn’t learn more if they stayed like this. Once they stood up, a number of books had toppled over their shoulders and landed at their feet.

Where they stood, they could see the entire room was decorated with tall bookcases and even more books sprawled all over the floor. It was easy to guess that they woke up inside a library. Only… where exactly was this library?

They took their first step forward, right on top of a book cover causing it to slip under their weight.

“Wh-Whoa!” They leaned forward and landed face first onto the floor with a solid thud.

“O-Ouch… Stupid books…” They hurriedly stood up from the ground and swiped their arms down their pants. “Where am I?”

Of course, no one would answer them if they stayed here. Getting out of here and running into the other Ultimates was their best bet. They walked towards the wooden double doors of the library. Once they were about to push the doors open, they froze.

_Wait… Ultimates? Who were the Ultimates?_

The phrase ‘Ultimate’ came to mind so easily, but they had no idea what that meant. The new information felt foreign yet it felt as if they knew this all along.

No, they need to stop asking these questions and start looking for answers. They pushed the doors wide open and stepped out into a dark hallway. As they turned to make a right, they collided into something hard.

“Aaah!” They yelped and, naturally, they fell back and crashed into the ground by surprise.

“Ah, sorry!” a voice said. “I didn’t see where I was going!”

When they looked up, they stared into a pair of warm, purple eyes. It was a young girl who  looked about the same as their age. They looked up and down at her outfit. She wore a light purple sweater vest and skirt adorned with musical notes and staves. They could only guess she was tied with music in some manner. It was a distinctive choice of style compared to their own outfit. They were wearing nothing more than a typical school’s uniform. An all black uniform with a mid length tie and

“Here.” The blonde stretched out her hand in front of them. “Let me help you up. It’s my fault that I wasn’t paying attention.”

They stared at her hand for a moment before grabbing it and pulled themself up.

“Thank you,” they grunted.

“No problem. I guess this is one way of introducing myself, isn’t it?” She chuckled, but they didn’t bother to laugh with her. Instead, they remained silent.

“My name is Kaede Akamatsu, and I’m the Ultimate Pianist! It’s nice to meet you!” Once again, they didn’t speak. They only nodded to acknowledge her.

_So my conscience was right_ , they thought. _‘Ultimate’. Ultimate Talents must be very important in this circumstance. So my talent must be very crucial to the proper outcome , as well._

“I guess you’re not really the talkative type.”

They tuned out of their inner thoughts once Kaede spoke up.

“I’m really sorry about bumping into you. I guess I was really into my conversation to notice.”

They remained silent, but Kaede noticed their expression had changed. She realized they didn’t understand who she was referring to.

“Oh! I meant with him.” She stepped to the side and revealed someone standing behind her. They couldn’t help but jump a little by surprise; They hadn’t noticed there was someone besides the two of them this whole time. It was young boy with dark blue hair covered by his hat. His overall appearance looked very authoritative, but his demeanor was the complete opposite. He was staring at the wall and stood close to Kaede from behind.

“This is Shuichi,” Kaede explained. “He’s been helping me find us an exit, but we’ve only run into the other Ultimates so far.”

They tilted their head to get a better look at Shuichi’s face. When they almost made eye contact, Shuichi quickly pulled down the tip of his cap and covered his face. Kaede seemed to notice this and grabbed ahold of Shuichi’s arm to pull him forward.

“Ah, w-wait…” he mumbled.

Kaede crossed her arms and pouted. “Introduce yourself properly, Shuichi! Why do I have to do it for you?”

“S-Sorry…” He looked up at his classmate. Now, that they finally made some eye contact, he paid special attention to all their features. Their (e/c) eyes, their (s/c) skin… Everything seemed normal. Everything except their facial expression. Their eyes were cloudy it almost like they were in a trance.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t unsettled by their presence, but if it would make Kaede happy, he’d have to play along.

“I’m… Shuichi Saihara. I guess you can call me the Ultimate Detective.”

“Guess?” Kaede huffed. “Why should they guess? Shuichi, you _are_ the Ultimate Detective. Be a little more confident in your introduction.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just not used to being called that is all…”

While the two were too indulged in their own conversation, their unnamed classmate had a million things going through their head. One of the loudest,

_An introduction. I already know what’s my talent. There all I need to remember is_ **_that name_ ** _. Gosh, why do I forget it so often?_

“Hey, what about you? What’s your name?” Kaede was talking to them, but they needed more time before they introduced themself. The name was on the tip of their tongue.

“I-I..” they mumbled. “My name is… um…”

“Come on, don’t be shy. We’re all Ultimates here,” Kaede said with a wide smile on her face. She could only guess they were as shy as Shuichi. Nothing but a little push was all they need to come out of their shell!

Before Kaede could encourage them any further, they slammed both of their hands over their face.

“A-Are you okay?” Shuichi asked.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to overwhelm you!” Kaede apologized quickly in worry of pushing their classmate to their limit. “You don’t have to speak yet if you don’t want to. Um… are you okay?”

They weren’t listening to Kaede at all. Instead, they were listening to the sound of their breathing.

 

_Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Remember. Remember who you are. And remember your role._

 

Kaede didn’t know what to do. She was afraid she brought her classmate to the point that they shut themselves in. She can’t let that happen. Everyone needs to work together as a team to get out of here after all.

She gently put her hand on top their shoulder. “H-Hey—”

“HELLOOO~!”

“Kyah!” Kaede jerked back, crashing into Shuichi from the sudden shout. Luckily, Shuichi caught her before they both would have fallen to the ground.

“Wh-What?!” Shuichi didn’t understand it either. Their classmate— the same classmate who was so silent and meek before— suddenly gave a cheery outburst.

“Pardon my silence,” they giggled. “I was just being a little shy is all.”

Kaede and Shuichi glanced at each other with uncertainty. It was almost like their classmate had a completely different personality.

“I’m sure you’ve seen me on all your television screens, so I shouldn’t have to bother speaking with you peasants!” They put their hands on their hips and let out a sigh. “Well, I guess I will. But only cuz it’ll be fun to see the adoration upon your faces!”

“Wait, did you just call us peasants?” Kaede asked. “Who do you think you a—”

“Who am I, you ask?” They cut Kaede off mid-sentence and laughed obnoxiously. With their head held high, they declared, “My name is Kayori! Putting glee and hope into the hearts of people worldwide, there’s no one else who can compete with the **Ultimate Actress**!”

The duo were completely awestruck and Kayori couldn’t help but giggle from their reaction. “Pleasure to meet you two!”

Kaede wasn’t sure what to say. They were so meek and distant at first… and then they decided to call her a peasant. Definitely not the strangest out of all the classmates she’s met so far, but definitely not one of the most normal. But now that she knew who they were, it all made sense.

“Wow, are you really _the_ Kayori?” she asked. “I’ve seen you all over the place. You’ve starred in some of my favorite movies!”

From the interviews and behind-the-scene clips she’s seen on TV, Kaede felt the urge to kick herself for not recognizing Kayori sooner. Her mannerisms were so similar as they were on camera. It was kinda scary.

“I knew you’d recognize me!” Kayori beamed. “Well, who wouldn’t recognize me?”

“U-Um,” Shuichi mumbled. He was a bit wary of cutting in when the two girls turned to him. “ I… don’t know who you are, actually.”

“Eh?!!” Kayori shrieked. “Y-You don’t?!!”

“No, I don’t.”

“You haven’t heard of her before?” Kaede asked. “She’s one of the most popular foreign actors in Japan right now.”

“But your name makes it sound like you’re a native,” Shuichi added.

Kaede closed her eyes, recalling few of her memories of the actor’s history. “I remember I read in some forums that Kayori moved to Japan from (c/n) to start her acting career. Eventually when she gained some popularity, a lot of people recognized her from films and drama shows, but no one really knew her name. Her name wasn’t even on the credits!”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “Really? But how is that even possible?”

“Oh, it’s possible. It’s… simple, really.” Kayori said. She spoke a lot more quietly than before and her stance relaxed a little. “I just opted out of being credited. Only, it was a lot harder to keep it up whenever I got bigger roles. And I just _hated_ being referred to as ‘that girl from so-and-so’.”

Kayori smirked, and spoke with pompous articulation. “That is why I chose Kayori as the most suitable name! It’s perfect for someone as talented as I!”

“Well someone’s a little conceited, aren’t they…” Kaede muttered. Kayori heard her, but paid no mind as she enjoyed playing up her reactions.

“I see…” Shuichi said. “So I can only guess you gained enough popularity for the Ultimate Initiative to deem you as the Ultimate Actress, am I right?”

“You got that right, Mister Detective. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.” Kayori said.

Shuichi avoided her gaze as his cheeks flushed. She then turned to Kaede. “So, you said there’s more of us in this place, right?”

Kaede nodded.

“Then that’s my cue! I’ll go greet the rest of my audience now.” Kayori wrapped her arms around Kaede, squeezing her with a tight grip. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Kaede! I’ll be sure to put you in awe the next time we cross paths!”

“Uh...yeah,” Kaede agreed, barely able to utter those two words with how tight Kayori’s grip around her waist was. Thankfully, Kayori let go after several seconds had passed and she was able to breathe comfortably again. “Nice to meet you, too.”

Kayori turned to Shuichi and could already tell she wouldn’t be able to hug him goodbye. He’d backed up the second Kayori let go of Kaede, and she didn’t want to scare him off right away. He was too fun to mess with to do that.

“And I’ll see you again, too,” Kayori leaned in a bit closer. Not too close, but close enough for Shuichi to react nervously much to her amusement. “Mister Detective.”

“Yeah…” he said slowly, like he was being careful not to sound nervous. He knew that’s what she wanted to see. “See you later.”

Kayori wasn’t quite satisfied, but she mentally put it aside as she trotted down the hallway, leaving behind her two new classmates, and headed upstairs to the first floor of the building.

“...So,” Kaede began once she was sure Kayori was out of earshot. “What do you think of her?”

Shuichi was quiet, but then answered, “I’m… not sure what I think of her at the moment. She’s unpredictable, that’s for certain.”

“Yeah, I knew I wasn’t the only one who could see that,” Kaede said. “She’s a weird one.”

Shuichi meekly nodded in agreement. Kaede took the opportunity to change the subject while they were alone.

“Do you wanna search some more? I think there was another room we missed before we ran into her. We can check it out if you want.”

“I don’t mind searching some more.”

“Right, let’s get a move on!” Kaede cheerfully exclaimed as she started her way to what would be known as the Game Room with Shuichi following not too far behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to leave a quick thanks to the response I received for the first chapter. I didn't expect much attention or any responses to happen so quickly. It made me feel even more motivated that I ended up writing extra for this chapter. I hope you all like it.

Although Kayori came to this academy against her will, she was in awe at how big the campus was. On her trek around school grounds, she had learned that this academy was more so called ‘the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles’. A truly eye-catching name that the likes of her would approve of, but for ‘juveniles’?

She didn’t recall breaking any laws before arriving to the school. If so, does that mean her classmates have done some questionable things themselves? She was only aware of Ryoma’s crimes thanks to his warning.

“Haah,” she sighed. She was pretty exhausted from running all over the place to most of them. It was a nuisance, but she wasn’t disappointed by the Ultimate’s colorful characters: The bright and cheery Angie who had nothing else on her mind but pleasing her beloved Atua, the prim and proper Kirumi who swore herself to fulfill Kayori’s requests as best as she could, and Kokichi who elusively creates his own persona through lies.

Looking back, she remembered how the Supreme Leader’s face had brightened up once she’d told him about her talent.

“Oh, wow! You’re an actress?!” From his stance alone, Kayori could tell he looked excited. Ecstatic even.

“That’s right!” Kayori grinned.

“Does that mean you go on movie sets and get to walk in slow motion as cars explode in the background while wearing shades? And you get to do martial arts and beat extras to a pulp? And shoot guns?!”

“No, I don’t do my own st—”

“Ooh ooh! Do you get to bash in the evil robot overlord’s head in with a sledgehammer at the height of the climax?!”

Before Kayori was able to respond, Keebo interrupted them after Kokichi made—in his words—a robophobic comment and threatened to report him to authorities. Kokichi didn’t seem too affected by the threat, laughing while insulting Keebo as nothing more than a forged existence. Silenced by teasing remarks, Keebo stormed out of the room in resignation. Once he’d left the two alone, Kokichi turned to Kayori.

“Too bad that you don’t do any cool tricks like in the movies,” he said. “If you did, I’d recruit you into my army without a second thought! It has over 10,000 members, you know~.”

“I wouldn’t want to join your smelly army anyway,” Kayori scoffed.” The only place that I belong is on television screens.”

Kokichi sulked. “Awww. But I reaalllly wanted you to join. Now you made me feel sad…”

“You sure about that?” Kayori cocked her head to the side, observing Kokichi’s expression. She had to admit he looked pretty down by her rejection, but she knows all too well that any normal reaction wouldn’t escalate that quickly. His lips were quivering and tears looked ready to spill from his eyes. Kayori pitied him for his attempt at a believable stunt, but it seems he’s forgotten who he was talking to.

“Y-You mean you don’t believe me?” he whimpered. “B-But you’re the one who rejected me so harshly. A-And even worse…”

“WAAAAHHHH! You called me smellyyyyy!” Kokichi’s face flooded with crocodile tears and excessive snot running down his face.

Instinctively, Kayori cringed at the sight of it. As much as she enjoyed the schtick, she only grew more and more irritated at how jarring it was. How does he expect anyone to fall for a performance like that?

Kayori came forward and grabbed onto Kokichi’s shoulders tightly. Kokichi nearly stopped crying altogether by the sudden contact. Tear stains still on his cheeks, his eyes widened from Kayori’s strong grip.

“If you think I was being mean before, then you’re really not going to like what I have to say now,” Kayori said in a low voice. “Kokichi, I don’t know if you’re doing it on purpose, but the way you’re crying is just…amateurish.”

“A-Amateur?” Kokichi’s voice wavered a lot less, realizing how Kayori looked more serious than worried by his tears.

“Yes, amateurish. Your facial expressions aren’t as natural as they should be. I could tell you weren’t offended without a second glance. You’re too easy to read. If you want to seem more realistic, try going a lot slower when intensifying emotions.”

Kokichi went silent for a moment and stared at Kayori. She smiled softly, like she knew exactly what he was thinking. How could she see through him so quickly? Yes, he only began to bawl as a joke, but her stopping him to give him advice took him aback. She could see through his mask just as he could see that her overjoyous, happy expressions were her neutral ones.

They thought alike. And something about that made grew a wide grin back on Kokichi’s face. He quickly wrapped his arms around Kayori in a tight embrace.

“Y’know, I didn’t expect to get such helpful acting advice when I woke up in this place. Especially, since I wasn’t lying about how I felt. But that’s okay though!”

Kokichi finally let go and looked up at Kayori with a bright smile. “I didn’t really have 10,000 members in my army anyway because—”

“Because that was a lie, right?” Finishing his sentence for him, Kayori couldn’t help but giggle when she saw the look on Kokichi’s face. He looked shocked, but extremely happy at the same time. The two didn’t say anything for a moment, quietly judging the other.

“Well, well, well! You sure did predict what I was going to say pretty well for someone who I just met! Does acting also give you psychic powers?”

“You could say that,” Kayori replied. “Reading people is just one of those things they don’t put in the job description.”

“Do you get annoyed by lies, Kayori?”

Despite Kokichi’s abrupt change of topic, Kayori simply shrugged. “Nope. In a way, the best way for me to stay in character is to pretend I am the character. By simply lying about who I am, I can easily become somebody else. That’s what acting is in itself. But you already knew that, riiiiiight Kokichi?”

Kokichi, as carefree as ever, laughed. “Nishishi! For someone I don’t know, you know me so well!”

Soon after leaving the classroom and saying her goodbyes to Kokichi, Kayori continued her quest to introduce herself to the rest of her classmates. They were all so entertaining! Not as entertaining as her, at least.

Kayori re-entered the main building in hopes of finding the last two of her classmates there. Much to her luck, there they were. The two of them right where she needed them; A tall boy with light, green hair who adorned many piercing on his ears and face and a young girl with long, dark blue hair wearing a school jacket of the same color. Finally, she had found them.

“Well, it’s about time!” she huffed. The two students looked like they were having their own conversation, but stopped once they heard her shout. Kayori walked up to them with a frown. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you peasants?”

The blue haired girl didn’t react at all to Kayori’s shouting, only upsetting her even more that she was being ignored. In fact, the girl wasn’t even looking in Kayori’s direction. She was staring off into space with a blank expression.

“Hey, are you even listening?!” Kayori waved her hand feverishly in front of the girl’s face, but she still didn’t show any response. She didn’t even flinch. “I’m yelling at you! Right here!”

The green-haired boy lightly chuckled. “Don’t worry. I can hear you loud and clear.”

“Well then,” Kayori turned to him and put her hands to her hips. “What do you have to say for yourself? Making someone like me do the labor of approaching you—and not the other way around—is despicable. And for that I demand an apology.”

“An apology?” The boy repeated her words in a joking manner. “It’s not exactly my fault that you spent all that time walking around when you ignored me when I said hello earlier.”

“What? T-That’s…” Kayori was ready to argue, but thought back to earlier when she’d just left Kaede and Shuichi from the basement. As she was exploring the school and classrooms, she was deep in her thoughts about the mysterious academy and their purpose for being there. During that time, she barely heard a voice from behind her, but shrugged it off as the wind. That could’ve been him trying to get her attention, but she was too indulged in her own thoughts to notice.

Oops.

To avoid the embarrassment of realizing her mistake, she goes forward with playing it off. “That’s because you weren’t worthy of my attention,” she said. She looked away from him, and it felt a lot better to speak this way. “You were so uninteresting, I didn’t feel like talking to you.”

“Too uninteresting, huh?” The pierced boy asked. “Then how come you’re speaking to me now? Did I suddenly become worthy for some reason?”

Kayori eyes widened, realizing her own contradiction. Before she could say anything to cover it up, the boy raised his hands and chuckled.

“Don’t worry about it. I was just messing with you is all,” he said. “I don’t blame you for being so eager about this place. We’re in all trapped in here, so of course you’d want to get some answers.”

She could see he’s playing off a calm, nonchalant attitude fairly well. Her only guess is that he’s trying to present himself as normal guy. If anything, being too normal in a mix of not-so-normal students would bring more attention your way. She had a feeling that he was being friendly to hide something, so she couldn’t help but feel a bit curious.

“Why do you say that?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Naturally, this isn’t your typical everyday situation. To be caught up with a bunch of other high school students not knowing where and how you got here… It sure is strange… Now that I think about it…”

“What?”

“I just realized that you probably don’t know my name yet. So I’ll go ahead and introduce myself properly this time.”

He gave her a small wave. “My name is Rantaro Amami. As for my Ultimate Talent… well…”

“... Well?” Kayori echoed.

Rantaro scratched the back of his head with a weak smile. “Well, to get to the point… I completely forgot what my talent was.”

Kayori went silent for a moment before she broke out a bout of laughter. “Hah! No way! Are you serious?!”

Rantaro sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. It’s a real pain honestly.”

“Ha, what are you just some nobody that got thrown in with the rest of us?! If so, that’s pathetic! And hilarious!” She snorted obnoxiously, hopefully to get an embarrassed reaction out of him that would break his cool attitude, but Rantaro’s smile never faltered, leaving Kayori puzzled.

She immediately stopped laughing. “Hey. Aren’t you worried about that? Because you should be.”

“Hm?” Rantaro hummed. “Why should I be worried? It’ll come to me eventually.”

“You talking like that is where I’m getting at. You see…” Kayori slowly began to pace around him. He raised an eyebrow, but looked amused. “In a place where talents are the most important to us besides our identities, it would put you in a bad spot if you had just happen to ‘forget’ yours. It’d make you the odd one out. The most suspicious.”

She tilted her head to the side and smiled innocently. “So what’re you hiding, Rantaro? Something tells me that you know more than you say~.”

Rantaro stayed quiet. He was staring at her intensely and Kayori had a feeling that she was pushing over a boundary. Something about his smile seemed to give off a warning. All the more to push him into telling her more, but she knows he’d be less likely to do so now.

“Jeez!” she groaned. “I’m just poking fun at you, Rantaro! You don’t have to look at me like that.”

“I think I can look at you however I feel like,” he answered slowly. A pace slow enough for him to watch what he was saying himself. “Especially when you’re desperately trying to pry when I’ve already told you the truth.”

Kayori smirked. “No need to be so cautious. I can tell you’re telling the truth… and you really can’t remember anything about your talent. Unless…”

Kayori’s gaze darkened. “The person you say you are is just an act, and you’re lying right to my face. But you wouldn’t do something like that, riiiight~?”

Rantaro took a few steps back from Kayori. For someone who acts so aloof, he’s beginning to understand her more. She’s toying with him, trying to see what’ll make him tick. She plays it off by making her true intentions seem harmless. She’s more attentive to details than she lets on. He’ll have to watch what he says around her much more carefully.

“As funny as that theory sounds,” Rantaro said. “No, I am who I say I am. Which reminds me…”

Without warning, he walks past Kayori, pushing her aside with his shoulder. “I have other classmates to meet. Hopefully, I can have a conversation that doesn’t make me uncomfortable.”

“But we weren’t done talking!” Kayori whined.

Rantaro continued walking away. Whether he didn’t hear her or simply ignored her, Kayori had the feeling it was the latter as payback for earlier.

“Hmph,” she huffed. “Worthless prick. He didn’t even let me introduce myself and walks away. He’s got some nerve.”

“Hey now.” Kayori jumped when she heard a voice from behind her. She turned and realized it was the blue-haired girl that spaced out earlier. She was still here after all this time. “Aren’t you interrogating your classmates a bit too much? You just met us, after all.”

Kayori frowned. “So now you wan’t to pay attention to me? Go back to staring at that wall and mind your own business.”

“You could consider it my business since I’ve been listening to you two talk this whole time. I may not have spoken up, but I was still engaged in the conversation.”

“I get it, Plain Jane,” Kayori said sharply. “I don’t need a convoluted explanation from a weirdo who stares at walls all day.”

“Ah, ‘Plain Jane’?” The girl looked down at the floor. “Nobody’s called me that in a long time…It’s fine. I’ve grown used to blending into the background for being so plain. I should just start my introduction. That way I won’t be referred to as ‘Jane’ anymore.”

Kayori took pity in her, but remained cautious as the girl began.

“My name is Tsumugi Shirogane, and I’m the Ultimate Cosplayer.” Tsumugi said. Then, she grabbed ahold of Kayori’s hands. “Since you’re an actor and all, is there any chance that you’ve ever tried cosplay before? I’d love to try—”

Kayori smacked Tsumugi’s hands away. How does she know about my talent? I haven’t even introduced myself yet…

For a moment, Tsumugi’s face looked troubled—frustrated even—but then her expression looked more subdued.

“Sorry, I guess I got a little too excited. Cosplaying is my passion, you know?”

“Yeah, well I don’t care much for cosplay.”

“R-Really? Cosplaying may have a bad rep on the media for being considered ‘weebish’, but I think of it as an art form.”

“You call that art? Please,” Kayori sneered. “It’s just an imitation of something original. And nothing’s worth any attention if they have to leech off the talent of others.”

Tsumugi frowned and stared at her bitterly. “Goddamn normie…”

“Huh?! What was that?!” Kayori leaned in closer towards Tsumugi’s face. “If a peasant like you is going to insult me, don’t be a coward and say it to my face!”

Tsumugi took a long sigh. “Y’know… Characters like you can get annoying pretty fast.”

Kayori furrowed her brows. “Wh—”

Ding-dong-Bing-bong…

Kayori was immediately interrupted by school bells ringing throughout the hall. She opened her mouth to ask what’s going on, but Tsumugi leisurely pointed to one of the monitors plastered on the wall.

“Look,” Tsumugi said.

On the monitor were the Monokubs sitting along a sofa, and began with their usual catchphrase: “Thanks for bear-ing with us!” From then on, they congratulated themselves for finishing their preparations and instructed everyone to assemble inside the gymnasium. Of course, if you refused, they would just bring you by force with the Exisals. Being forced to comply or else having to meet the consequences…it made Kayori’s blood boil.

“Just what do those kubs want anyway?” she mumbled. “A ceremony? For what?”

“They said head to the gym,” Tsumugi answered. Her demeanor looked a lot less closed off and reclusive than earlier. She had a small smile on her face again. “So you’re best bet at getting answers would be there.”

Kayori nodded bitterly in agreement. Deep down, she had a feeling something would go awry. And it wouldn’t turn out good for anyone. Swiftly, Kayori walked past Tsumugi to the gymnasium entrance. Since she was in the school building, she’d probably be one of the first few there. Hopefully, they wouldn’t make her wait too long…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're really like the story so far, you're welcome to read the next part on my Tumblr (I have the same username). Frankly, I use Tumblr a lot more so I tend to post the works there way before I upload them here.  
> Regardless, thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a little short this time! I'll try to make it up by making more content for the next chapter. If you're interested to know of any updates and such, follow my Tumblr here: https://k-33va.tumblr.com/
> 
> Without any other announcements, please enjoy!

“A k-killing game?” Kaede uttered in disbelief.

All seventeen of them stood in front of their newly introduced headmaster. A harmless and inviting appeal on one side of its face and a menacing, distorted smile on the other. A harmless teddy bear, but just like the Monokubs, was fully functional to be controlled by someone. It was the best way to describe Monokuma for Kayori to grasp any logical sense in the situation.

But almost  _all_  logic in this situation was fleeting.

They were here to participate in some killing game? To eliminate each other? Being forced to commit unreasonable bloodshed or manage to avoid that by self-preservation… Kayori felt like she was in a daze, but remained an unfazed demeanor amongst everyone else. Who knows what would happen if the others saw her vulnerability?

“Puhuhu!” Monokuma cackled. “Have you all lost your drive already? Sheesh, you all look more depressed than a dog who was forced to watch it’s puppies drown!”

“Nuh-uh! Not me!” Kokichi spoke up before the rest of the silenced teens. “I’m not scared at all! A killing game sounds like fun!”

Kayori fought the urge to chuckle, knowing that the rest of the group would disapprove of such a nonchalant attitude. Instead, cooly added, “I’m not really down in the dumps either.”

“See, I knew you’d be thinking the same thing!” Kokichi smiled with no hint of worry or fear on his face. “A killing game won’t be as boring as regular school would be. The rest of you guys are just stick-in-the-muds.”

Monokuma looked intrigued by her words, as well. He slightly leaned his head to the side. “Oh? So you’re okay with slicing and dicing away on one of your classmates?”

“Oh, I have no problem with that!” She wasn’t surprised to hear a few gasps and murmuring behind her. Internally, she admitted that what she was distasteful, but it was needed to assure she wouldn’t yield. “ Honestly, I couldn’t care less about this ‘killing game’ you’re setting up. It’ll end as soon as it begins.”

Monokuma covered his mouth with his paws to hide his malicious smile. “…Are you sure about that?”

“Positive.”

“Well then, if you’re so confident…” Monokuma hopped off of the podium onstage and landed on floor level. “Then I hope you’ll survive to see through your premonition, Ms. Kayori!”

Kayori’s face tensed slightly.  _If I survive, he says…_

Monokuma bid everyone farewell and wished everyone the best of luck in their killing school life. As soon as he departed, the Monokubs followed suit, leaving every student frozen in place in fear.

It was silent in the gymnasium. Nobody said a word until someone finally had the courage to break the silence.

“I know that we all just heard and saw the same thing,” Tenko began. “But can someone confirm that that actually just happened?”

“Yes, Tenko. What you just heard is real.” Rantaro answered. He looked deep in thought, but casually answered Tenko’s question. “So we’re all here just to participate in some killing game. To kill each other.”

“But why?!” Tenko shouted. “Why do we have to do something like that?!”

“Don’t be so annoying,” Maki muttered. “If we knew the reason ourselves, you wouldn’t have to ask the question in the first place.”

“How else do you expect me to react?! I-I don’t want me or any of the girls here to get hurt!”

“Hmph,” Ryoma huffed, tugging his hat down to cover his face. “How nice of you to include the rest of us…”

Kayori didn’t say a word as she watched everyone else react at what they’ve gotten themselves into for her. She was clueless on what to say next. On what could possibly help her escape from this predicament entirely. Why did she have to be a part of this? Despite the things she’s done in the past, questionable or not, shouldn’t mean she deserves this as punishment.  _Right?_

Kayori lost her train of thought when she felt something warm enter the palm of her hand. She looked up into a familiar pair of warm, purple eyes. It was Kaede, holding Kayori’s hand into both of her own.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Kayori,” Kaede soothed. “Don’t be afraid. We’re going to get out of this. I’m just sure of it.”

Kayori snorted. “Afraid? What makes you think that I’m—”

Then, Kayori noticed. Her own arms and legs—her entire body at this point—was shaking terribly. Her hand that was enclosed in Kaede’s was trembling, as well.

“It makes sense that you’d try to hide it,” Kaede continued. “But it’s not just you, Kayori. We’re all afraid of what’s going to happen next, too. So…”

Kaede smiled. “Don’t bottle up your emotions so much! If you’re feeling really sad right, then you can cry if you need to! That way, we can all get out of here together.”

“Pfffttt!” Kayori laughed, pulling herself away from Kaede and everyone else to stand right in front of the podium where Monokuma and the Kubs once stood.

“Wh-What is it?” Kaede asked. “What’s so funny?”

“Kaede, Kaede, Kaede…” Kayori snickered. “What makes you think that I’m afraid?”

“Well, you were shaking pretty bad and I thought you needed some comfort after—”

“I don’t need any help from you,  _peasant_ ,” Kayori spat. “Didn’t you hear what I told Monokuma before? I don’t need to work with any of you because I know that this killing game is going to end soon.”

Kaede looked hurt and also frustrated by Kayori’s attempt to distance herself from the rest of the group.

“What do you mean that you’ll know ‘it’ll end soon?” she asked. “Do you mean that we’re going to get help? Someone will come get us outta here?”

Kayori looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. “Hmmm. Well, I definitely wasn’t exactly referring to ‘us’.”

“Then…” Shuichi slowly stepped forward. “Who were you talking about?”

“Myself.”

Everyone looked at Kayori, eyes widened with horror and surprise. Kaede’s was the most telling out of the rest of them. “J-Just you?!”

“Duh! Who else?!”

“But why?!”

“Unlike the rest of you, I’m someone who’s constantly seen in the public eye every single day. It’s expected for people to get frantic and worry about lil’ ol’ me! They’ll have rescue helicopters or a SWAT team come for me in no time. But for the rest of you…please…”

“You’re all just an afterthought.” Kayori began to snicker, taunting the others as they gave her menacing glares and hurt expressions. “There’s no way Monokuma would let us  _all_ go home scot-free!”

“How can you say such horrible things to us?!” Tenko shouted. “We have the same right to leave this place as you do!”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve treating us like we’re nothing but tools.” Kaito bared his teeth in anger, clenching one of his fists tightly. Kayori could tell he was pretty strong, but wasn’t intimidated by him actually doing anything because of his morals.

“But you  _are_  nothing!” Kayori chirped. “I am the exception! Y’know, the one that actually matters? The one people actually care about?”

“I’m pretty sure most of us have people out there who care about us, too,” Rantaro coolly added. Unlike the others, he looked a lot less offended by her slander. “No need to put yourself on a pedestal as first priority.”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Kayori said. “People only care about what’s right in front of them. Like a bunch of sheep. Your talents don’t make you as special as you think you are.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?!” Kaito stepped forward but was held back by Gonta grabbing onto his shoulders. He looked severely pissed, almost ready to charge himself towards Kayori if it wasn’t for Gonta restraining him. “You’re not going to just spout nonsense like this and get away with it!”

“Everyone, please stop!” Gonta shrieked. “Gonta not want friends to get angry!”

“That was before she started saying messed up stuff!” Kaito struggled trying to wrestle out of Gonta’s grip, but he knew it was meaningless to challenge Gonta’s relentless strength. Kayori could only watch and taunt him with a smile, knowing how bad Kaito wanted to cut her off from inducing paranoia amongst the rest of the group. Just to silence her and seem like the big hero he thinks he is.

“Seeing that everyone else is getting riled up over your outburst,” Kirumi turned to Kayori, looking as displeased as everyone else. “I’d like to ask you to refrain from causing the rest of us to go into disarray. If you wish to detach yourself from us, you’re free to do so. But please…Leave the rest of us to take matters into our own hands.”

At this point, Kayori wasn’t smiling anymore. Instead, she felt an immense feeling of boredom and couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Alright, whatever. I’m so done with all of you. Seriously, this is how you all react?” She slowly shook her head. “Can’t say that I’m surprised. You’re all so annoying and predictable. Well…”

Kayori shifted her gaze to Kokichi. “Not everyone.”

He hadn’t said a single word after Monokuma left. He had a playful smirk on his face, desperate to join in on the controversy in the room. She had a feeling that’s what he’d want to do, but then why is he backing down now? She figured he’d want the attention, too.

“How,” Kaede croaked. “…How could you say such horrible things? We’re all supposed to be friends, Kayori!”

“I don’t need friends. And I especially don’t need someone as pushy as you! You’ll be the reason someone ends up dead with your annoying friendship talk! Get out of my way!”

Kayori strolled her way past all of her classmates without looking any of them in the eye towards the double doors. She could already guess what their gazes were like; Seething with hate or distrust. Maybe some sympathy from the few who agreed on looking out for themselves. But of course they wouldn’t say such when she’s caught in the fire for them.  _The damn cowards._

She swung the doors wide open with great force and as she took one step out into the hallway—

“Kayori!” Kaede shouted behind her. “I-I won’t let you do what you want! I’ll do what I have to to keep everyone safe! And that includes you, too!”

Kayori didn’t look back, letting the doors slam shut behind her. As she walked further and further away from the gymnasium, she listened to the sound of her own footsteps echoing down the halls. The sound of hers. Only hers.

_Is this how I’m going to walk in this school from now on? Hearing out for any subtle movement and getting myself paranoid? But if I don’t…_

_…_

_Kaede…You’re so determined to make me trust the likes of you…_

“You’re gonna have to die trying,” she quietly said to herself.

* * *

About two hours have passed ever since Kayori had disbanded from everyone else and decided to take refuge in her room. At least that way, she’d have a locked door between her and any threats. She laid in her bed staring blankly at the ceiling, replaying the entire day from since she woke up in the library over and over in her head. Remembering how quickly she dropped the cheerful act before the killing game had even officially started.

_If my agent was here, he’d probably nag at me for dropping all acting credibility out the window. He’d say something like, “What were those years of practice for if you’re gonna perform like an amatuer, Kayori? You’re wasting my time as much as yours!” Ha…_

_I always hated the useless prick._

Kayori rolled to her side. “This sucks. So much for having everyone’s trust as an advantage. It’s all Kaede’s fault…”

_PING!_

Kayori froze when she heard a high pitched noise coming from behind her. Instantly, she jerked upright and frantically looked around the room but found nothing, leaving her confused.

“What?…What is that?”

_PING!_

She heard the sound again and the bed softly rumbled at the same time. Then, Kayori realized the noise was coming from her blazer, hanging on her bedpost where she left it when she ran into her dorm after leaving the gym. She dug her hand into her pocket, fumbling for the source of the noise before she felt the sensation of cold metal in her hands.

“Is this what I think it is?”, she said. She pulls out a small tablet colored black and white. “The Monopad? Wasn’t this in my back pocket?”

She reaches for behind her back pocket and quietly gasps when she still feels the tablet right where she’d left it. She pulls out the Monopad and holds it beside the new tablet from her blazer side by side. Kayori squinted her eyes, searching for any sign of difference between the two of them to identify one as a counterfeit. But no dice. The two were exactly the same in each and every way.

“What the hell? Why do I have two of them?!”

Kayori guessed the only person who could be behind this was Monokuma. How would anyone else have slipped another Monopad inside her blazer without her noticing? Unless, it was the mastermind controlling Monokuma themselves, which was hard to believe. She’s purposely made distance after she left the gym, and there’s no way she wouldn’t have noticed when she was there with everyone else. Could this be something Monokuma left her after saying she’d see the killing game end herself?

“Alright, Monokuma.” Kayori pressed the power button on the tablet. “I’ll play your game. What do you got up your sleeve?”

The screen was dark at first. Then, the screen brightened and white, blocky letters covered the screen. Kayori was awestruck, feeling a sinister smile growing across her face. Slowly, she read the message on-screen.

“ _‘Actor’s Perk’_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TL;FL is a weekly updated series, so don't forget to tune in for the next part coming soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been losing stamina for this lately, out of insecurities of my own writing. If anyone could spare the time to give me some of their opinion on how to improve, please let me know! I'd really appreciate it.
> 
> This took me a while to make, so enjoy!!!

Kayori sat in her bed, utterly dumbfounded by the recent discovery she’s just made. An Actor’s Perk. An advantage made for her and only her. The Actor’s.  


She was about to tap the screen to explore the perk’s contents but paused. _What if this is a trap?_

She couldn’t deny the possibility of this secretly becoming a false hope for her to pursue. What if Monokuma wanted her to fall victim to a lie? Monokuma was anticipating to see either victory or downfall, so this must be important. It could be something that’d have her end one of the other’s lives without a second thought. Then, Kayori remembered and quietly chuckled.

_If that’s the case, then who?_ , she thought. _All that’s really my priority is myself. If he comes after my career, then there’s no way it’ll even break a chip in my reputation. No way it would get past any producer’s ears anyway..._

Then another realization came to her. What if someone else had received a perk? Maybe it would be best to lay low and scope out any of the others for suspicious behavior. She already has a few people of interest in mind.

_*DING-DONG!*_

At the sound of the doorbell, Kayori quickly shut off the Perk and slid it underneath her bed. “Coming!” 

Whoever it was at the door, she knew she couldn’t carry her own Perk out and about in front of the others. Otherwise, she’d be seen as more suspicious thanks to her outburst earlier.

_It’s much safer this way._

_*DING-DONG!*_

“Alright, alright!” Kayori knew the room was soundproof so whoever was at the door couldn’t hear, but she couldn’t help getting irritated. “Quit ringing the bell already, I’m coming!”

She put back on her blazer and slipped her Monopad back into her pocket while pacing towards the door. She unlocked and swung open the door. She was ready to yell at whoever it was waiting for her.

“Kayori!” 

Before she could process it, she felt something crash right into her chest. She was terrified at first, thinking it was a weapon of sorts. She looked down and recognized a familiar hue of purple that laid against her chest.

“Wh—?! K-Kokichi, get off of me!” She pushed him away, quickly bringing Kokichi to stand back on his own two feet. His face was stained with tears and his complexion looked as pale as ever which almost gave Kayori to roll her eyes on the spot. She could easily see he was going to lie to her again, but decided to play along. The quicker she could convince him to leave, the quicker she could learn more about her Perk.

And the faster she can get to live her life forgetting as much of this place as she can.

“K-Kayori,” he stammered. “You have to help, there’s—” Kokichi paused for a moment, wiping his nose and face to only further a facade. “Th-Th-There’s…”

“Oh my gosh, are you alright? Why are you crying, Kokichi?” Kayori asked in a sickly, sweet tone. She tilted her head, looking as concerned as believably possible to prevent him realizing his routine had failed. “You’re looking pretty pale. I don’t know what you and the others have been up to, but seeing you scared like this only makes me believe something’s wrong.”

Kokichi shook his head, like he’s denying everything coming out of her mouth. “N-No...They’re…”

“Don’t rush yourself,” she soothed, rubbing his back softly. “Poor thing, you look so distressed! Take a breath and just explain when you’re rea—”

“They’re dead!” Kokichi’s exclamation made her freeze. Just hearing the dreaded word made chill run down her spine. Her most fearful thoughts were running through her mind. How could have someone gotten so desperate to leave so quickly? _No, impossible_ , she thought. _It has to be one of his lies. It has to be._

“Someone’s been killed?” she asked.

Kokichi nodded feverishly. “Y-Yes! Everyone else already saw the body. W-we don’t know what happened! We were altogether so there shouldn’t have been…” He paused and sniffled, wiping his face with his arm. “There was so much blood. If whoever did it would come after you...I-I had to come to make sure you were okay. Come on.”

He grabbed her hand and gently tugged. “We need to reunite with the others. It’ll be a lot safer than…” Kayori groaned and smacked his arm away, leaving him confused. “...Huh?”

“I can’t believe I actually fell for your fib for a second,” she spat. She felt disgusted at herself for easily falling for his crying and stuttering. It was an amateur performance. Of course her anxiousness would let her believe everyone would decimate each other so quickly.

Kokichi looked hurt by her words, but she didn’t budge. “K-Kayori, I’m serious! We need to—”

“Nope, you can’t fool me now. I saw you smirk a little in that confession you made about the body. You tried to hide it with your arm, but you didn’t hide it good enough. Nice try.”

“Oh, so you did see that.” The tears quickly dissipated and a smile returned to his face. “Woops! Silly me!”

Kayori rolled her eyes, pinching her nose. “I knew it. Gosh, you can’t be straight with anyone can you?”

“Nishishi~,” he snickered. “Don’t be so angry! I thought you said you loved how unpredictable I am.”

“I never said that!”

“Yeah, you did! In the gymnasium! You looked right at me and said it. ‘Well, not everyone.’ Remember?”

Kayori unlocked her room door, refusing to give him the satisfaction from seeing her annoyance. “So what if I did? That shouldn’t mean much, if at all. You’re still a peasant. I said what I said so that everyone could get off my back and leave me alone.”

“You sure? Because I had a feeling you were lying for the most part. But, if you were being honest, then I know you have a soft spot for me. Riiiiight?” He gave her a hug from behind as she struggled with opening the door. 

Kayori growled. “Shut. Up.”

“Aww, I knew you liked me!”, he cooed. His relentless teasing was the last straw. Kayori turned around and pushed him as hard as she could, quickly went inside her room in an effort to slam the door shut. Before the door closed, Kokichi stopped it with his foot.

“Go. Away.”

“C’mon, Kayori!” He started to push the door back open. She leaned against it, using her weight to battle his. “You can’t just slam the door on your new bestie!”

“We’re not friends! And I’m not planning on making any! All I want to do is get out of here and forget about this stupid place!” she shouted. She hated this. She hated everything about this. Why her? Why does she have to be forced to be in such a place and kill? It’s been several hours and she couldn’t even hold up a pleasant attitude anymore.

“But Kayoriiii!” She cringed at Kokichi’s insufferable whining. “I want us to hang out!”

Soon after that, Kayori moved away from the door and slowly slid down to sit against the nearby wall. Kokichi stumbled forward and nearly fell through the door once it was easier to open. He recovered and glanced around Kayori’s room.

“So this is what your room looks like,” he said. “I thought it’d look waayyy worse.”

He didn’t get any response back. No yelling, not one command to leave or even an insult. He frowned and crouched down to sit beside Kayori. “Is this what you’re like when you can’t keep up the cheery act? Too tired to even get mad?”

Kayori solemnly looked down at her hands in her lap.

Kokichi pursed his lips, thinking deeply in thought of a response. Then, he shone a bright smile. “I know what’ll get you going again!”

“What do you have in mind?”  


Kokichi grabbed her hands and pulled her up to her feet. “Let’s go get Mom to make us something to drink! Some caffeine and sugar will get you back to normal!”

“I’m sorry, _Mom_?” Kayori asked. “Pretty sure no adults are trapped in here with us.”

“I’m talking about Kirumi, silly! She’s a maid, she’ll do whatever we want without question!”

“Not sure exactly how that means she’s your mom, but I’m honestly too tired to question it. Or care.”

“It’ll be fine!  Trust me, I’m just luring you out of your room so I can kill you when you lay down your guard.” Kayori looked slightly disturbed by the comment, but Kokichi laughed anyways. “Kidding! I’m just lying, you know! Anyways, I’ll be waiting for you in the cafeteria!”

With that, he went for the door. Kayori watched as he closed the door behind him.

“You didn’t even give me a chance to say no!” she shouted, knowing her words fell on deaf ears thanks to the soundproof walls. “What’s going on in your head, Kokichi…”

Now, Kayori wasn't so sure on her next move. Kokichi couldn't have been more correct; She was exhausted. If she wasn't going to the cafeteria like Kokichi had planned, she'd want nothing more than to take a nap. But she can’t. She can’t waste anymore time in this place than she already had. Although Kayori projected her certainty that she’d be rescued soon, she’d lied to herself more than anyone else at the time. She wasn’t even sure they were in Japan anymore, so there’s no way she could be so sure about any help from the outside.

_Maybe he’s right_ , she thought. _I won’t be able to scope out other Perks if I can’t keep my eyes open._

Kayori took a deep breath, quickly glancing at the spot underneath her bed where she hid the Perk. Then, she exited her dorm and out into the center of the dorm hall. Everyone else’s doors were closed shut and when Kayori walked outside, she was surprised to find that it was dark outside.

_It’s nighttime already? How long was I inside my room?_

It’s clear that a considerable amount of time had passed since she’d left the group. It made her wonder... _Did they find anything useful? Maybe even a way out? It’s not like most of them would want to tell me if they did. Especially after..._

Kayori felt a cool breeze of wind brush her face. It was a lot colder now that the sun’s down. Kayori couldn’t the feeling of anxiousness growing in her head. Kokichi could’ve lured her out here thanks to the trust she’s already established with him. What if he’s already waiting in a dark corner of the cafeteria, knife in hand, just waiting for the perfect moment when her back’s turned and— 

_Stop._ Instinctively, Kayori held her hands to face, realizing how heavy her breathing had gotten. After several minutes had passed, she removed her hands and sighed. _Don’t underestimate yourself. He’s not smarter than you. If anything goes wrong, simple improv could turn things around.You’re an actor, after all._

From all the remaining strength she had left, she mustered the most believable smile on her face and walked towards the academy’s main building.

* * *

She swung open the cafeteria doors and waltzed in to see Kirumi and Kokichi in the middle of a conversation. Or an argument, from the disappointed look on Kirumi’s face. As soon as Kirumi acknowledged her presence, she stood upright and held her hands, awaiting any request that should arise.

“Hey, Kayori!” Kokichi was slouching in his chair. He quickly raised his cup, allowing some of the contents to spill over on the table and the floor. “Definitely didn’t expect you to come out of your room so late!”

“I wasn’t expecting you to be Kokichi’s guest at this hour,” Kirumi added. “But I’ll be more than happy to provide you with my service, Kayori. Would you like something to drink?”

Kayori sat across from Kokichi, noticing how empty the cafeteria looked without anyone else besides the three of them inhabiting it. Many of the interior lights had dimmed, most likely to adjust with the rest of campus’ dull vibe. Kayori admitted she felt safer with company than if she were sitting here on her own.

“Get me a cup of coffee. Keep it black.”

Kirumi bowed gracefully. “Of course, please wait a moment.”

Then Kirumi walked into the kitchen until she was no longer seen. The clanging of pots and pans echoed out to where the remaining two both sat. _At least there’s someone that does what I want and gets it done._

“You drink your coffee black?” Kokichi asked. “Gross.”

“Right, because surely someone like you has better taste compared to me.” Kayori looked inside his cup from where she sat. The rest of the drink was almost gone. “If you think it’s gross, then what’re you drinking?”

Kokichi lifted his cup and drank the rest in one gulp. He sighed in satisfaction and smiled. “Fanta!”

“What’s that?”

Kokichi eyes widened. “Are you serious? You don’t know what Fanta is?!”

“I’ve got a good idea what it looks like from commercials I’ve done in the past. Never drank one myself. Too many calories.”

“And that’s all you could describe it as?” he chuckled. “The high calorie count is all that you can remember?”

“Was that not good enough of an answer for you, Kokichi?” Kayori rolled her eyes, glancing briefly towards the kitchen.“I don’t drink what you peasants drink on the daily, so if I’m wrong, then what’s so good about Fanta? What’s it made of?”

Kokichi smiled coyly. “Battery acid.”

Kayori kicked the bottom of his chair as hard as she could. She didn’t put enough force to make him fall over, but only jerk his seat away from the table. Kokichi burst out laughing, his hands clutching onto the chair for support as he giggled relentlessly.

“Hahaha! Don’t be so mad, I was kidding!”

“Goddamn liar…” she muttered. “Out of everyone in this school, you’d be the most likely to kill yourself in a killing game. Wouldn’t be surprised if it _was_ by battery acid.”

Kokichi slowly stopped laughing when he heard her comment. “Well… if it had to come to that…” He scooted his chair back to table, staring at Kayori dead in the eyes. “There’s no telling that I wouldn’t do something like that.”

Not intimidated in the slightest, Kayori returned the stare. From a quick glance at his uniform, it wouldn’t be likely that Kokichi could keep any weapon or another tablet besides his school handbook well hidden. The observation brought an idea in mind.  _Would he trust me enough to tell me whether he’s obtained a Perk or not? He wants to claim we’re ‘besties’, so sharing a secret should be the next step. And if he does show me…would it really be so wrong of me to betray him?_

Nonetheless, Kayori waved her hand dismissively. “Here I thought you’d be an actual threat to me. Instead, you’re just confirming the possibility of you offing yourself. What good would that for you if you’re dead?”

Kokichi blinked, cocking his head to the side. “Hmm? That’s silly. I never said that I’d do it for my own gain.”

“Then what for?”

As he opened his mouth to respond, Kirumi exited the kitchen with a small cart. Not only was there a cup of tea neatly placed in the center, but the rest of the cart was decorated with an assortment of small desserts along the rest of the cart.

“My apologies for the wait,” she said. “I thought it’d be best if I prepared a light dessert that would go well with your coffee.”

“Wow, Kirumi!” Kayori scanned over the desserts, feeling her stomach growl in anticipation. “For a second there, I thought you were a total joke for an Ultimate Maid if you took that long to make a cup of coffee. Guess you proved me wrong~.”

Kirumi’s brows furrowed slightly, and her face went rigid. “Once again, my apologies. I had no intention of making you wait so long.”

“Aww, don’t be so sad, Mom.” Kokichi leaned forward and snatched one of the small cakes, shoving it into his mouth. “Kayori’s just messing with you. She does that with everyone.”

“I see…” Kirumi stared at Kayori hesitantly, holding the hot coffee in her hands. Before Kirumi could properly place it down, Kayori snatched the cup and quickly sipped as much as she could. She quietly hissed from the burning sensation, but relaxed now that something was in her stomach.

“Might I interest you with some macaroons?” Kirumi asked.

“Not at all. These better be good,” Kayori said, sipping her coffee slowly. “I want to see how your methods will impress me.”

Kirumi smiled, neatly setting every dish out across the table. “I assure you, it will. I put my all when I’m confronted with any request.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

The next forty-five minutes were filled with moments of Kayori praising Kirumi for her skill and service, Kokichi prodding Kayori of what she was doing in her room in isolation, Kayori threatening to throw hot coffee into his face, and Kirumi trying her best to diffuse the two from going overboard and causing a mess. A _bigger_ mess.

During that time, she was also informed of the hidden passageway that could lead to the outside. It discouraged Kayori even more when she learned it was all just a ruse; One of Monokuma’s method to taunt everyone. She felt even more disappointed when Kokichi mentioned it was Kaede’s idea to try again. _No surprise there, Kaede’s ‘leadership’ backfired and burned everyone out._

“Haaah,” she sighed. “I’m stuffed. All of those sweets are making me feel pretty tired.”

“Yeah...me, too…” Kokichi mumbled. His face was planted onto the glass table, but Kayori could make out his sentence.

“That’s to be expected.” Kirumi stepped out of the kitchen once again after she took away the food cart and wiped the floor and tables. She swiped down her dress, and observed the two groan lazily. “After eating all that I offered, it’s expected for your bodies to want to rest after a full stomach. I think it’s best if we all return to our dorms and get some rest.”

“Yeah…” Kayori slowly stood up from her chair. “There’s nothing left to do anyways.”

“Oh, wait!” Kokichi perked up, catching the other two off guard. He got out of his seat and went for the door. “Gotta go use the bathroom! Don’t leave without me!”

“Kokichi, why didn’t you—”

Before they could retort, Kokichi slipped out of the cafeteria doors, leaving the two girls alone.

“Use it before… Nevermind.” Kayori continued, knowing fully there’s no point now that he wasn’t in the same room. She turned to Kirumi. Her eyes were closed so softly it wouldn’t be a surprise if she fell asleep while standing. “Oh, Kirumi~.”

The maid’s eyes slowly opened, looking much less focused and softer than earlier. “Yes? Do you need anything?”

It was clear that Kirumi grew tired after the long evening they spent together, too. As much as Kirumi liked to believe her drive of selfless devotion wouldn’t wear her down, Kayori could tell she was just as human as the others. The only difference was that she was okay to sacrifice herself as a tool. 

“What’cha thinking about?”

“Do not worry, I am simply contemplating what I have to get done before everyone arrives for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

Kayori rolled her eyes. “Well, that sounds boring.”

“Yes, it may seem like a mundane task to you, but I look forward to bringing my best.”

Kayori grabs Kirumi’s hands into her own, smiling sweetly. “I have something better in mind. But first, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“But of course, ask me anything you wish to know.”

“Hmm,” she hummed. “Where do I start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow my Tumblr: https://k-33va.tumblr.com/


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